If there was something that had gotten worse after the attack on Canterlot and the kidnapping by the other hive, was that I had even less privacy than before. If I wasn't at the castle, I had at least one, usually more members of the Legion following me around. Thankfully usually out of armour. That's not even counting Amber shadowing me from... well, the shadows. Even if you didn't see her... maybe even especially if you didn't see her... the changeling was always there with a stubbornness that would make Skitter proud.

There were times I missed the time when I had just arrived, when I had just started to get to know my Sky, when I wrote a bit on the side while working in a bookstore for some Bits.

At least then I could go anywhere I wanted, anytime I wanted.

Now, I couldn't ditch Amber. Know your limits and all that, besides it would make me feel bad to do that to her, but the rest?

Illusion, a bit of sneaking around, a second Illusion and a bit of flying and I was out of the castle, wrapped in the illusion causing me to look like a blue coated pegasus with white mane and a star mark.

I knew how annoyed Amber would be at me about it, and I had apologized to her about it, but sometimes, just needing to step away was a thing.

There was just so much going on right now and I needed to clear my head.

Pushing the door to the tavern open, I entered the small establishment. A faint scent of smoke in the air from the fireplace and a faint mumbling of conversation. It wasn't one of my normal places and was actually in what for Canterlot passed as 'bad' parts of town. But considering it was Canterlot, that just meant less shiny.

Considering it was the middle of the afternoon, just a couple of hours after lunch, the place was far from packed. Maybe a dozen ponies in total, including staff.

Shaking the snow from my hooves, I moved over to the bar and ordered a big hot cider before taking it over to one of the corner tables where I settled down.

It was still freezing cold outside, but the hot drink and the warmth from the fireplace radiating through the room was exactly what I needed to warm up again and get my brain back in gear.

I had way too much to worry about right now even if not any of the things was outright critical, it was just all of them together.

There was Celestia, the entire thing with the Changelings, whatever the Minotaurs had been mumbling about with that contested area... then there was worrying about Midnight. I had not seen her for weeks since she left for Ponyville to talk with Sparky about something. I hoped she had come up with a way back home, but I didn't want for her to get her hopes up if it didn't pan out again.

I felt sorry for her and the other Spike, especially as I was the one she got into a fight with when she arrived... the fight that destroyed the scroll she needed to return. Oh, it was Discord's fault for bringing her here in the first place, but that didn't change that I still felt horrible about it.

I sipped my cider and sighed.

Then there was Celestia. She had been acting strange since she swatted me like a fly with her spe- sun. I could get why she was feeling guilty about it, but it had been my fault in the first place for startling her like that, especially at the time. Not that it likely helped that Sunset apparently didn't talk to her anymore because of it. I should talk to her about it.

Then... then there was Skitter and the entire twisting nest of trouble that was Changelings in general. Her idea about the other Hives was a good one, but how in the world would you go through with it when there was a chance they would indeed see it as weakness and attack?

Wonder if the Griffins are looking to hire any alicorns right now, that sounds like it would be a way easier job... and this with me just being Lunas Prince-Consort, I wasn't even an actual Prince.

They couldn't pay me to take one of their jobs.

...no, they just fluttered their eyelashes at me, showed off some feathers and I just volunteered to do it for free.

I'm such a dumbass.

I drained my glass with a sigh and put it back down before I leaned back against the wall behind me for a moment. Well, whatever was going on, it couldn't continue like it was.

I needed to talk to Celestia and Sunset, or rather, I needed to talk to Sunset first and then Celestia. Sunshine can handle the ambulatory burgers on her own, she had for a millennia after all, so I wasn't worried there. Then I needed to find someway to figure out exactly Chrysalis was up to... and somehow in the middle of all that, find some time to write to clear my head or I'm going to go cra-

"Excuse me, would you like a refill?"

I opened my eyes, looking up at the pegasus waitress across the table from me. Or rather... the image of the white pegasus with pink mane pulled into a side braid across from me overlaid on a white batpony with grey mane pulled into the same side braid. Her cutiemark in both forms was that of a half moon.

I blinked at her in surprise. I... I did not expect that.

At all.

Batponies were rare, the only other one I knew was Fluttershy! And I suppose her mom, but I didn't know her, just knew of her.

"Huh?" I asked smartly.

"I was wondering if you wanted a refill?" she asked and motioned towards my glass with a smile, "Five Bits."

"...Yes, thank you, yes," I said and then shook my head, "...Sorry, long day," I said and picked the bits from my satchel and slid them over to her with some extra, "Could I get a fruit bowl too?"

"Of course," she said with a smile as she scooped the bits into her apron, "Coming right out," before she turned and trotted back towards the bar.

I watched her go for a moment.

I needed to find out who that filly was.